Over at New School Kaidan, I write a few words about some of the recently released promotional videos. At times, this is a bit of a grueling task, and all of my thoughts can get a little scattered when multiple PVs are released on the same day. But, I always try to present the promotional videos in the best light possible, and I try to remember that each of these pieces of entertainment for your a me is actually the manifestation of a dream for some young girl or girls out there in Japan. Here then is a collection of those write-ups, with a few words sometimes added after a week+ of viewing.

Looking like an elegant slumber party before the actual slumbering, “Jealousy Jealousy” rounds out the promotional videos for Morning Musume’s 63rd single release. Things look very black and white, although it’s not particularly clear which side is actually which (metaphorically speaking). What I do know is the group makes great use of their anchors: Oda Sakura and Fukumura Mizuki sing with an increasing presence from Nonaka Miki while Ishida Ayumi rightfully anchors the dance team and provides legit skills to the rap interludes (you should also stick around to hear Miki’s English in the rap- always a treat). Perhaps “Jealousy Jealousy” rests on foundations that are more predictable than its counterpart A-side, but man is the song smooth. For those put off by the mortar shells in “Brand New Morning”, “Jealousy Jealousy” feels like coming home to groove laden J-pop butter. “Brand New Morning/Jealousy Jealousy” goes on sale March 8, 2017.

If you strip nature to its barest composition, reduce all of its glorious curves and angles to perpendicular black, and simplify hues to primary colors, you would probably produce something that looks like Piet Mondrian’s work. No doubt the Dutch painter’s work crossed through your visual stream once or twice. His compositions and style from the 1920’s became shorthand for modernism in the 1960’s, and now serve as an easy callback to retro futurism.w

My thoughts on Piet Mondrian actually hold some bearing with the idol group Callme! You see, the group’s debut release on March 3, “To Shine” employs serious amounts of Mondrian inspired art and artifacts. But, my manners! We should probably start with Callme themselves. Who is this trio?